Photos of suspects in Odisha violence released

Bhubaneswar, Sep 13 (IANS) Odisha Police have released photographs of 36 suspects involved in violence during Sep 6 Congress rally here in which a policewoman was thrashed and molested in the state capital, an official said Thursday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Nitinjit Singh said the pictures were extracted from 12-hour footage from closed-circuit television cameras. The footages are being examined to identify people involved in vandalism. The photographs are being circulated to nab the offenders.

“We are still examining the footage. We may release photographs of some more people soon,” Singh told IANS.

At least 100 people, including Congress protestors and several policemen, were injured when the rally by the state’s main opposition party against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led government on the issue of corruption Sep 6 turned violent.

The police used water cannons, lobbed teargas shells and resorted to caning to disperse the irate crowds after they stormed the barricade and attacked the securitymen.

While the police claimed they used force after the crowd indulged in vandalism outside the state legislative assembly, the Congress has accused the police of attacking its workers and activists and thus triggering violence.

At least 38 people have been so far arrested in connection with the violence. Attack on the woman constable by the mob during the rally evoked an outrage, with both activists and police demanding strong action against the culprits.

Singh said those who attacked the woman constable were mostly from outside the city and efforts are on to identify them.

The mob continued to thrash the woman in uniform with sticks even after she fell to the ground, and tried to protect herself. A man was seen kicking her, and another pulling her hair. The woman was, however, subsequently rescued by some people and taken to a hospital where she is recovering from her injuries.